Straight pull bolt action system

ABSTRACT

A straight pull bolt action system for use with a firearm includes a bolt, an action bar, a locking pin and a locking lug. The locking lug front end is pivotally moveable between an up position and a down position, the bolt and action bar are longitudinally moveable between forward and rearward positions. The bolt has a lower locking surface that locks with the locking lug front end when the bolt is in the forward position and the locking lug front end is in the up position. The locking pin has one portion slidably disposed in an opening in the bolt and another portion slidably disposed in an L-shaped opening in the action bar.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/786,881, filed Mar. 15, 2013.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to bolt action systems for firearms.More particularly, this disclosure relates to straight pull bolt actionsystems.

A bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt isoperated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a smallhandle. As the handle is operated, the bolt is unlocked, the breech isopened, the spent cartridge case is withdrawn and ejected, the firingpin is cocked (this occurs either on the opening or closing of the bolt,depending on design), and finally a new round/cartridge (if available)is placed into the breech and the bolt closed. Well-known examples ofrifle bolt action systems are the Mauser system, the Lee-Enfield systemand the Mosin-Nagant system.

Typically, the bolt consists of a tube of metal inside of which thefiring mechanism is housed, and which has at the front or rear of thetube several metal knobs, or “lugs”, which serve to lock the bolt inplace. The most common locking method is a rotating bolt. The Mauser andMosin-Nagant systems each have two lugs on the bolt head which lock tothe receiver and the Lee-Enfield system has a lug and guide rib, whichlock on the rear end of the bolt into the receiver.

SUMMARY

There is provided a straight pull bolt action system for use with afirearm including a receiver and a longitudinally extending barrel and areceiver. The bolt action system comprises a bolt, an action bar, alocking pin and a locking lug. The bolt has front and rear portions anda lower recess forming a locking surface. The bolt has an opening and islongitudinally moveable between a forward firing position and a rearwardposition. The action bar has front and rear portions, the rear portionhaving an L-shaped opening. The action bar is moveable between a forwardposition and a rearward position. The locking pin includes a firstsegment slidably disposed in the action bar L-shaped opening and asecond segment slidably disposed in the bolt opening. The locking lughas oppositely disposed rear and front ends. The front end is pivotallyvertically moveable between an up position and a down position. Thelocking lug front end is locked with the bolt locking surface when inthe up position. Moving the action bar rearward from the action barforward position pivots the locking lug front end downward from the upposition whereby the bolt unlocks from the locking lug and is movedrearward by the action bar. Moving the action bar forward from theaction bar rearward position moves the bolt forward from the boltrearward position to the bolt forward firing position, the action barpivoting the locking lug front end upward from the down position to theup position whereby the locking lug front end locks the bolt in theforward firing position.

The straight pull bolt action system further comprises a bolt handleattached to the action bar.

The locking lug rear end is pivotally mountable to a rear end portion ofthe receiver. The locking lug rear end may include a transverse opening,with a pivot pin extending through the opening and the receiver.

The action bar L-shaped opening includes a horizontally extending firstportion, the bolt being unlocked to the action bar when the locking pinfirst segment is disposed in the action bar L-shaped slot first portion.

The action bar L-shaped opening also includes a vertically extendingsecond portion, the bolt being locked to the action bar when the lockingpin first segment is disposed in the action bar L-shaped slot secondportion.

The locking lug engages the locking pin when the action bar is movedforward from the action bar rearward position, wherein pivoting thelocking lug front end upward moves the locking pin first segment upwardwithin the action bar L-shaped slot second portion into the action barL-shaped slot first portion, whereby the bolt is unlocked from theaction bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure may be better understood and its numerous objectsand advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art byreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a right-side view, partially in phantom, of a straight pullbolt action system in accordance with the disclosure showing the bolt ina closed position;

FIG. 2 is a right-side view, partially in phantom, of the straight pullbolt action system of FIG. 1 showing the bolt in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a left-side view, partially in phantom, of the straight pullbolt action system of FIG. 1 showing the bolt in a closed position;

FIG. 4 is a left-side view, partially in phantom, of the straight pullbolt action system of FIG. 1 showing the bolt in an open position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bolt of the straight pull boltaction system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the bolt of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the bolt of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the bolt of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the pivoting locking lug of the straightpull bolt action system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the pivoting locking lug of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the pivoting locking lug of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a cross-section view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bolt action bar of the straightpull bolt action system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is an end view of the bolt action bar of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a top view of the bolt action bar of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the bolt action bar of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the action bar lock pin of the straightpull bolt action system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 18 is a top view of the action bar lock pin of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the action bar lock pin of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a left-side view of the action bar lock pin of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the bolt handle of the straight pullbolt action system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings, a straight pull bolt action system 10 inaccordance with the present disclosure is shown installed in a rifle 12.The subject straight pull bolt action system 10 is different fromconventional bolt action rifles where the bolt handle pivots or turnsthe bolt in an upward motion, thus unlocking the bolt and allowing theaction to be cycled. It is also very different from conventional camactuated straight pull bolt action rifles where the bolt releases oractuates a cam that in turn unlocks the bolt locking lug or lugs andallows the action to be cycled in a straight back and forth motion.

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the subject straight pull bolt actionsystem 10 includes a bolt 14, a pivoting locking lug 16, a bolt actionbar 18, an action bar lock pin 20 and a bolt handle 22. With referenceto FIGS. 5-8, a shoulder 24 on the bottom 26 of the bolt 14 proximate tothe breech end 28 forms a first locking surface 30, a recess 32extending from the left side 34 of the bolt 14 proximate to the breechend 28 has an inner surface forming a second locking surface 36.

With reference to FIGS. 9-12, the muzzle end 38 of the locking lug 16forms a contact surface 40 and the breech end portion 42 of the lockinglug 16 has a transverse opening 44. A pivot pin 46 extends through theopening 44 and the receiver 48 to pivotally attach the locking lug 16 tothe inside rear of the receiver 48 (FIGS. 1-4). A cam 50 extends fromthe left side 52 of the locking lug 16 proximate to the muzzle end 38 ofthe locking lug 16. The locking lug contact surface 40 engages the boltfirst locking surface 30 when the bolt 14 in the closed/firing positionto lock the bolt 14 in the closed/firing position. The locking lug 16secures the bolt 14 in its forward closed/firing position so that when acartridge is fired all of the resulting thrust, pressure and energycreated by the fired cartridge is absorbed by the locking lug 16.

The bolt 14 is connected to the bolt action bar 18 by the bar lock pin20. With reference to FIGS. 13-20, the bar lock pin 20 includes a firstsegment 54 having oppositely disposed right and left sides definingcontact surfaces 56, 56′. A second segment 58 extends downwardly fromthe bottom surface 60 of the first segment 54. The bar lock pin secondsegment 58 is slidably disposed in the bolt recess 32 whereby contactsurface 61 contacts the bolt second locking surface 36. The bar lock pinfirst segment 54 is slidably disposed within a lock pin slot 62extending from the right side 64 of the breach end portion 66 of thebolt action bar 18 whereby contact surfaces 56, 56′ contact surfaces 63,63′. The lock pin slot 62 includes an upper portion 68 that extendshorizontally from a breech end 70 to a muzzle end 72 and a lower portion74 that extends vertically from the upper portion muzzle end 72.

The distal end 76 (FIG. 21) of the bolt handle 22 is received in anopening 78 in the muzzle end portion 80 of the bolt action bar 18, andis securely attached therein. The locking lug cam 50 is slidablydisposed within a cam slot 82 extending from the right side 64 of thebreach end portion 66 of the bolt action bar 18. After a rifle havingthe subject straight pull bolt action system 10 is fired, the bolthandle 22 may be manually pulled straight back. As the bolt handle 22moves the bolt action bar 18 rearward, contact between the locking lugcam 50 and the surface 84 of the bolt action bar cam slot 82 pivots themuzzle end 38 of the locking lug 16 down until the locking lug contactsurface 40 clears the bolt locking surface 30, unlocking the bolt 14.When the bolt 14 is unlocked, continued rearward movement of the bolthandle/bolt action bar 22, 18 causes the spent cartridge case to beejected.

After the spent cartridge case has been ejected, manually moving thebolt handle/bolt action bar 22, 18 forward also moves the bolt 14forward, causing the bolt 14 to pick up and feed a new cartridge fromthe magazine into the chamber in the barrel of the rifle. When themuzzle end 86 of the bolt 14 contacts the breech of the barrel,continued forward movement of the bolt handle/bolt action bar 22, 18causes contact between the locking lug cam 50 and the surface 84 of thebolt action bar cam slot 82. This contact pivots the muzzle end 38 ofthe locking lug 16 up until the locking lug 16 engages the bar lock pin20, moving the bar lock pin first segment 54 upward within the lock pinslot lower portion 74 until the bar lock pin first segment 54 enters thelock pin slot upper portion 68, releasing the bolt action bar 18 fromthe bolt 14. Continued forward movement of the bolt handle/bolt actionbar 22, 18 causes the bar lock pin first segment 54 to move forwardwithin the lock pin slot upper portion 68 and the muzzle end 38 of thelocking lug 16 to pivot upward until the locking lug contact surface 40contacts the bolt locking surface 30. The bolt 14 is then securelylocked with a loaded round in the chamber in the ready-to-fire position.

The operation of the bolt 14, action bar 18, locking lug 16 and bar lockpin 20 is unique to the subject straight pull bolt action system 10. Thebar lock pin second segment 58 is vertically slidably movable within thebolt recess 32 with a spring (not shown) biasing the bar lock pin secondsegment downward, locking the action bar 18 to the bolt 14 as the bolt14 is initially manually moved forward from the open position. After thebolt 14 is moved to its forward most position the pivoting locking lugcam 50 engages the bar lock pin 20 to release the action bar 18 from thebolt 14, allowing the action bar 18 to complete its forward motion andcomplete the pivoting locking lug movement to lock the firearm into theready to fire position.

It should be appreciated that the subject straight pull bolt actionsystem 10 may be used in a rifle or handgun. The straight pull boltaction system 10 may be used in rimfire or centerfire calibers andcartridges. The straight pull bolt action system may be used in a hammeror hammerless (Striker fire) design.

It will also be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed andother features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirablycombined into many other different systems or applications.

What is claimed is:
 1. A straight pull bolt action system for use with afirearm including a receiver and a longitudinally extending barrelhaving oppositely disposed breech and muzzle ends, the barrel breech endbeing mounted to the receiver, the bolt action system comprising: a bolthaving front and rear portions and a lower recess defining a lockingsurface, the bolt defining an opening and being longitudinally moveablebetween a forward firing position and a rearward position; an action barhaving front and rear portions, the rear portion defining an L-shapedopening, the action bar being moveable between a forward position and arearward position; a locking pin including a first segment slidablydisposed in the action bar L-shaped opening and a second segmentslidably disposed in the bolt opening; a locking lug having oppositelydisposed rear and front ends, the front end being pivotally verticallymoveable between an up position and a down position, the locking lugfront end being locked with the bolt locking surface when in the upposition; wherein moving the action bar rearward from the action barforward position pivots the locking lug front end downward from the upposition whereby the bolt unlocks from the locking lug and is movedrearward by the action bar; and wherein moving the action bar forwardfrom the action bar rearward position moves the bolt forward from thebolt rearward position to the bolt forward firing position, the actionbar pivoting the locking lug front end upward from the down position tothe up position whereby the locking lug front end locks the bolt in theforward firing position.
 2. The straight pull bolt action system ofclaim 1 further comprising a bolt handle attached to the action bar. 3.The straight pull bolt action system of claim 1 wherein the locking lugrear end is adapted to be pivotally mounted to a rear end portion of thereceiver.
 4. The straight pull bolt action system of claim 3 wherein thelocking lug rear end defines a transverse opening and the system furthercomprises a pivot pin adapted to extend through the locking lug openingand through the receiver.
 5. The straight pull bolt action system ofclaim 1 wherein the action bar L-shaped opening includes a horizontallyextending first portion, the bolt being unlocked to the action bar whenthe locking pin first segment is disposed in the action bar L-shapedopening first portion.
 6. The straight pull bolt action system of claim5 wherein the action bar L-shaped opening also includes a verticallyextending second portion, the bolt being locked to the action bar whenthe locking pin first segment is disposed in the action bar L-shapedopening second portion.
 7. The straight pull bolt action system of claim6 wherein the locking lug engages the locking pin when the action bar ismoved forward from the action bar rearward position, wherein pivotingthe locking lug front end upward moves the locking pin first segmentupward within the action bar L-shaped opening second portion into theaction bar L-shaped opening first portion, whereby the bolt is unlockedfrom the action bar.
 8. A straight pull bolt action system for use witha firearm including a receiver and a longitudinally extending barrelhaving oppositely disposed breech and muzzle ends, the barrel breech endbeing mounted to the receiver, the bolt action system comprising: a bolthaving front and rear portions and a lower recess defining a lockingsurface, the bolt defining an opening and being longitudinally moveablebetween a forward firing position and a rearward position; an action barhaving front and rear portions, the rear portion defining an L-shapedopening including a horizontally extending first portion and avertically extending second portion, the action bar being moveablebetween a forward position and a rearward position; a locking pinincluding a first segment slidably disposed in the action bar L-shapedopening and a second segment slidably disposed the bolt opening, thebolt being locked to the action bar when the first segment is disposedin the action bar opening second portion and unlocked to the action barwhen the first segment is disposed in the action bar opening firstportion; and a locking lug having oppositely disposed rear and frontends, the rear end being adapted to be pivotally mounted to a rear endportion of the receiver, the front end being pivotally verticallymoveable between an up position and a down position, the bolt lockingsurface being locked with the locking lug front end in the up position;wherein moving the action bar rearward from the action bar forwardposition pivots the locking lug front end downward from the up positionwhereby the bolt unlocks from the locking lug and is moved rearward bythe action bar; and wherein moving the action bar forward from theaction bar rearward position moves the bolt forward from the boltrearward position to the bolt forward firing position, the action barpivoting the locking lug front end upward from the down position to theup position whereby the locking lug front end locks the bolt in theforward firing position.
 9. The straight pull bolt action system ofclaim 8 wherein the locking lug rear end defines a transverse openingand the system further comprises a pivot pin adapted to extend throughthe locking lug opening and through the receiver.
 10. The straight pullbolt action system of claim 8 wherein when the action bar is movedforward from the action bar rearward position and the locking lug frontend pivots upward, the locking lug engages the locking pin and moves thelocking pin first segment upward within the action bar L-shaped openingsecond portion into the action bar L-shaped opening first portion,whereby the bolt is unlocked from the action bar.
 11. The straight pullbolt action system of claim 8 further comprising a bolt handle attachedto the action bar.